A'S NOTEBOOK / Slump Falls Below Average

Steve Kettmann

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, July 25, 1998

1998-07-25 04:00:00 PDT St. Petersburg, Fla. -- The offense sputtered again, held to five hits by Tony Saunders and Jim Mecir as the A's were shut out by Tampa Bay. Since the All-Star break, the A's are hitting just .227 (101-for-444), helping explain their 5-10 record. Before that, they were hitting .268.

"We looked like a team that got in at 5 in the morning," manager Art Howe said. "We had opportunities but just couldn't get any offense going. . . . We're just in a funk right now. We have to battle through it."

Mike Blowers is 0-for-25, dropping his average to .230. A.J. Hinch is 7-for-33 in July, dropping his average to .236. Rickey Henderson is down to .234 after hitting just 35-for-165 since June 1. Mike Macfarlane is 4-for-29 in July, dropping him to .231.

ROBERTS LEAVES GAME: Second baseman Bip Roberts already had been bothered for more than a week by an inflamed left knee that was hurting him more before last night's game.

Then in the fourth inning, he made a fine leaping play to knock down catcher Mike DiFelice's soft liner up the middle and jammed his right thumb as he hit the Astroturf. Roberts threw to second for a force-out but had to leave the game for pinch-hitter Rafael Bournigal half an inning later.

"As of now, it did not swell," trainer Larry Davis said after the game. "We'll see how it looks tomorrow, but I don't think he'll have to miss any games."

CONNELLY RECALLED: The A's recalled Steve Connelly from Triple-A Edmonton, and he pitched three innings of shutout ball. Brian Lesher was sent to Edmonton.